Act II Scene III

ACT II SCENE III - THE EMPRESS' JOURNEY (Half of the stage is covered in sand to represent the beach the Empress and her forces washed up upon.) Retainer 1: Your Highness, this island was not on any of our maps. And those distant mountains... red and ruined by some terrible force... they portend disaster. Empress Zhou: We will make camp here. There is a power in this place. An old power. It may be the key to returning home and retaking my throne. Retainer 2: It is an ill-omen, your Grace. I do not trust it... Empress Zhou: Do you not trust me? Your paragon, who led you from persecution by the forces of Shang Wu the Usurper. (Retainer 2 falls prostrate upon his face.) Retainer 2: Forgive me, Empress. I forgot myself. Of course, we trust in you, our beloved leader. The Taiying Empress: Then all is not lost. We will learn the secrets this place holds. So that we might grow strong enough to one day return to our ancestral homeland. (Lights out.)